1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording device incorporated in information apparatuses, such as printers, facsimile machines, word processors, and, in particular, to a recording method using an ink jet recording device, of transferring a recorded image formed on an intermediate transfer element onto a recording medium, such as a sheet of paper.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventional ink-injecting, recording devices are referred to as ink jet, in which ink is attached onto a recording medium, such as a sheet of paper, and recording is thus performed.
In order to obtain a uniform recording density and achieve highly precise recording without feathering in recording in the above manner, the inventions disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 63-159081 and 1-148586 define the amount of ink attached. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 63-159081 describes the amount of ink attached when a typical ink for ink jet is used for recording, and Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 1-148586 describes the amount of ink attached when an ink which contains a predetermined amount of a high boiling organic solvent is used for recording.
The both references describe a recording method characterized in that the amount of ink attached in recording at a recording density of 100 dots/cm.times.100 dots/cm is within a range of 3.0.times.10.sup.-4 ml/cm.sup.2 to 3.0.times.10.sup.-3 ml/cm.sup.2.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 3-211057 discloses an invention in which highly precise recording is achieved by defining the physical property and travel velocity of ink and thus optimizing expansion of ink drops and adjusting the shape of dots. It describes a recording method characterized in that the product of the Weber's number (We) and Reynolds number (Re) of a traveling ink drop is no less than one and no more than 300.
Reviewing the disclosures of the references, however, it has been found that these methods are not always advisable for obtaining a clearer edge of a recorded image or improving the precision in impact of ink drops and thus achieving highly precise recording when a recording method other than typical ink jet recording methods, such as recording with a high viscosity ink, an intermediate transfer element and the like, is applied.
For example, the distance between the recording head and the intermediate transfer element can be significantly reduced in an ink jet recording method in which an ink drop injecting portion is used to render ink drops travel and the ink drops are first received by an intermediate transfer element to form an image which is then transferred through pressurization or heating onto a recording medium, such as a sheet of paper. Thus, while the same precision in impact is maintained, travel velocity of ink drops can further be reduced. For the recording methods described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 63-159081, 1-148586 and 3-211057, however, when traveling ink drops impact on an intermediate transfer element, which does, unlike paper, not at all absorb ink, the ink is scattered and a uniform shape of dots cannot be obtained.
Furthermore, when a high viscosity ink, such as a general printing ink, is used, for example, time is required until the ink is absorbed into a sheet of paper. Consequently, in transfer through heating or pressurization, the ink does not sufficiently infiltrate into the sheet of paper and the ink will bleed on the sheet of paper, and for the amount of ink attached which is defined in each of the above references, an image becomes thick and highly precise recording cannot be achieved.
In addition, there is a demand for higher resolution in the market from year to year and the optimal amount of ink attached is accordingly considered in an area with extremely high resolution and it has been found that the optimal amount of ink attached is reduced with increase of resolution, and in some cases, highly precise recording cannot be performed in the range of ink adhesion described in each of the above references.